


Kayla Buellers day off

by stressed_depressed_emo_mess



Category: Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys - My Chemical Romance (Album)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:07:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24001828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stressed_depressed_emo_mess/pseuds/stressed_depressed_emo_mess
Summary: Quick PSA: This is not my oc, this oc belongs to Kayla and she let me write this. Bueller is not her last name, so this is just a giant reference to the movie how school sucks ass and you don’t need it. Go be gay in the desert t( -.-t). This is for killjoynest and their Quarantine fun fair thing over on tumblr, and the prompt was Escape, so this is a little two-part backstory. <3
Comments: 2
Kudos: 1





	1. Escape

“Ms. Bueller, please pay attention.” Kayla jerks her head up out of her notebook so see her history robot wheeling itself over to her desk. It was getting hard to pay attention to a robot. Kayla, a 15-year-old girl, was just trying to make her way through the fifteen years of school that was forced upon her by this fucked-up excuse of a government. Her parents were firm believers that this was wrong, but like so many others, they had to keep quiet. The war might have only been three years ago, but it felt like a lifetime. In fact, the entire reason there was a robot standing in front of her was that a teacher was caught changing a lesson plan not two months ago. She was really bored and started drawing little flowers in her notebook until the rusty pile of bolts came over and ruined her fun. “You have one demerit remaining.”

‘Shit,’ she thought to herself. She had stopped taking her medication about a week ago, and she already lost two demerits in that span of time. She sighed and said, “I’m sorry.” and the robot turned and went back to teaching its class of twenty. Of course, Kayla went right back to looking out the window. The sky was grey, as usual, and there were hardly any people on the street at this time of the day, so it perks her interest when she sees a figure slipping out from between two buildings. From what she could see, the figure was wearing a bright blue jacket with black pants and- converse? Kayla had only heard about those kinds of shoes from her parents, she never thought she’d see a pair in real life. Her eyes were drawn to the person’s hair, which was a matching blue to their jacket, and slung over their shoulder was a burlap bag. They looked around to make sure no one was following them, and Kayla turned her eyes back to the teacher. She didn’t want to unintentionally blow the person’s cover by staring too much. She snuck a quick look back, however, and the person was gone.

***

Kayla spent the rest of the class thinking about the person- Blue, she decided to call them- and thank goodness it was the last class of the day. Now, she had all night to draw them, and think about where they came from, where they were going, and what they were doing- rebel stuff was so cool to her. She knew Blue was a rebel, who else would be able to get away with that hair around here, and she wanted to follow them so badly. Kayla knew that it was pure luck that she happened to be watching, but something in her gut told her otherwise; like she was meant to see that secret passageway. Those two buildings were like every other in her section of the city; skinny, tall, and exactly identical. She and her mother lived in a smaller apartment, she and her mom had their own rooms, but that didn’t mean they had any privacy. With only one bathroom, it was kind of hard to get any alone time other than her cramped room- which she was in right now. She sighs, and finishes the last bit of her math homework and sits back in her desk chair, rubbing her wrists and then stretching out. She walks over to her small closet, and reaches to the back, and pulls out her favorite outfit. She and her mom had made some striped black leggings and paired it with a red shirt and her favorite dark purple jacket. To top it all off, she had her combat boots- already broken in- and she was very proud of it. It was her own rebel outfit, after learning that you could wear whatever you wanted out in the Zones she immediately put this together. She even had her giant curly hair planned out as well. Kayla knew that she had an escape now- it was exhilarating. She looked at it, up and down, and imagined herself out there, far away from the prying eyes of BL/Ind. 

“Kayla! Dinner time!” Her mom called from down the hall, making Kayla jump.

“Coming!” Kayla shouted back, throwing the outfit back on the hanger and quickly returning it to its place in the back of her closet. She hurries down the small corridor and into the kitchen where her mom was putting the plate on the table

“Just in time,” her mother says, “how was school?” 

“I saw a rebel.” she blurts out, her mother’s eyebrows shooting up in surprise. She elaborates, telling her about Blue, and how she thinks there might be a way out.

“Kayla. That is not a good idea,” her mother says, putting her fork down, “I know we hate the corporation, but I will not have my daughter running around and getting shot. It’s better to have you here and you being safe than anywhere else. You don’t even know if this person made it back, and this passageway might not even work.”

“Mom,” Kayla whines, “I didn’t mean by myself. We could both go.”

“Kayla! With or without me you are not leaving this city! Ever! Now eat your food.”

Kayla and her mother finished their dinner in silence. When she cleans her plate, Kayla excuses herself to her room and quietly closes the door behind her. She jumps over to her closet, pulling out her outfit and laying it on the bed. She taps her chin thoughtfully, then dives back into the closet only to emerge with the belt she had forgotten about for ages. It wasn’t anything special, but it did have a heart for the belt buckle; that was pretty punk in her book. It’s exactly what the outfit needed. She changes out of her school uniform and reaches for her pajamas; she hesitates, hands heading for the jacket. She takes a deep breath and puts her outfit on, complete with the belt, and stands in front of her mirror. It still wasn’t quite right. She looks around her room for something, anything to add, and her eyes land on the bright red lipstick her mom had bought her. It was perfect. After carefully putting it on, she stands back to admire her handiwork. She was proud of herself. This was the outfit- she could feel the sand already. But when would she be able to go? She thinks to herself as she gets out of the outfit, folding it up and set it next to her backpack. 

‘I could always go after school… no, no I can’t do that to Mom… maybe if I convince her to come with me…’ she thinks through plan after plan- she knows she wants to go, but she doesn’t know if she can. What would happen to her mom if she left? 

She sits down on the bed, wondering if she’ll ever get to go when her mom knocks on the door, “Kayla? Sweetheart, I- I wanted to talk to you about this- before you get mad, just let me tell you, I’m terrified. I won’t be able to leave- I’m old, I’ve lived my life, I’m done. I have to stay here,” she comes over to sit next to Kayla on the bed, “but you, you’re 15. You have an entire life ahead of you, and I realize that you might as well be dead if you stay here. You’re going to be forced to be exactly the same as everyone else, I don’t want you to turn into a mindless follower. You should escape while you can. I love you, and this is the best thing for you.” 

Kayla turns her face into her mom’s shoulder and starts to cry, “Thank you, I- I just don’t want to leave you behind-”

“I’ll be fine, love. Now we gotta get you prepared,” she pulls away, a familiar glimmer in her eyes, and Kayla was excited as well. As much as she dreaded leaving her mom, she knew that her mom wanted her to be happy. She appreciated that her mother would put herself in danger for her daughter. Kayla followed her mother out of her room and down the small hallway to the only other bedroom in the apartment. Something was spread out on the bed and as Kayla got closer she realized it was a map. Of Batt city. How did she have this? 

“So, you said you saw someone come out of a passageway… here?” her mom asks, pointing to somewhere on the map.

“No, over here,” she says, pointing on the other side of the school, “I saw them during history class, that classroom is on that side of the building.”

“Right, and the front of the school is there, that classroom is practically at the back of the building, so we could sneak you there without anyone seeing… you won’t even have to go to school that day.” 

“That’s a good idea, students skip all the time- that’ll give me at least that day… Maybe I could find Blue and ask them to take me...”

“Who?” her mom looks at her sideways, and Kayla realized she never told her mom about the nickname.

“The rebel I saw today, it’s a nickname because of the hair,” Kayla says.

“Oh, ok. So are you ok with me just dropping you off back there?” Kayla’s mother asked. Yeah, Kayla was more than ok with that, but all she did was nod her head. “Alright, let’s get your shit together.” 

Kayla was surprised to hear her mom curse, but then she remembered that her mom was also helping her escape an evil corporate government so she probably should stop believing she knew what her mom was capable of. 

“You know, you have a really big day tomorrow,” her mom says, rolling up the map, “you should get some sleep. I can get you food before we leave in the morning.”

“Alright, Mom, thank you…” Kayla says, tearing up before hugging her mom.

“Of course, love. Now go to bed, we can’t have a sleepy Killjoy- especially on your first day,” she says, petting Kayla’s hair down. 

***

Kayla woke up, rubbing her eyes against the sun shining through her window, she sits up and takes a deep breath and smells- is that bacon? She shoots out of bed and runs down the hall to skid into the kitchen where, sure enough, Kayla’s mother was making bacon and pancakes, her favorite. 

“Good morning dear, you had better go get dressed,” she winks at Kayla, a knowing smile spreading across her face. 

Kayla can feel her face heat up as she retreats to her room to get her rebel outfit on. ‘So Mom knew.’ Kayla thinks to herself, ‘All this time, and she’s never said anything…’ she throws her hair back with a hair tie and some bobby pins. ‘I’m gonna have to cut this down when I get out there.’ She reaches over her bed to grab her backpack and starts sorting through her things to see what she would bring. She throws her headphones and her playlist into her bag, her black and red nail polish catches her eye, she grabs the lipstick and also decides to take her sunglasses with her as well. Slinging the backpack over her shoulder, Kayla walks out of her room and back into the kitchen where her mom was taking the last batch of pancakes out of the pan. 

“Well, well, well, look at you!” her mom says proudly, “All decked out, my color-clad killjoy.”

Kayla spins around to show her mom the extent of the outfit and laughs, saying, “Why thank you, I just hope it holds up out there.”

“Oh, it will. I’m just glad you had it already picked out, jacket and all,” her mother says, Kayla asks her how she could be so sure, but before she can, her mom is already plating the bacon and the pancakes. “Time for breakfast!”

***

The pair pulls up behind the school building, and Kayla can see the gap more clearly now. 

“It’s right there,” she says, pointing over her mother’s shoulder and towards the break in the buildings. 

“Alright. I think my job here is done. Kayla, I do have one last thing to give you before you leave-” her mom reaches behind herself to bring out something, Kayla’s teddy bear. “I know you probably don’t want it-”

“Of course I want it!!” she says, reaching out to hold the bear. She opens up her backpack and places it in, gently, and then goes to hug her mom. “I’m going to miss you so much…”

“I will too,” her mother says, holding her close, “but this is what’s best for you… now hurry, we don’t want to get caught.” They pull away from each other and Kayla’s mom rests her hand on Kayla’s shoulder. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Mom,” Kayla says, tears stinging the corners of her eyes. "Goodbye," she says and her mom gives her one last smile. Kayla opens the car door, steps out, and darts across the street. She slows to a jog and peers into the gap, and she sees a glimmer of something shiny; a door. She turns back, giving her mom one last wave, and disappears into the passageway. Once her eyes adjust to the darkness she feels her way along the corridor to a wall of cold metal- the door she had seen from the top- and feels around for a handle. When she finds it, she pushes all her weight into it stumbling across the threshold and as the door closes behind her, she knew there was no going back. She had escaped.


	2. Names

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ONCE AGAIN: This is not my oc. This has been lovingly placed in my hands by Kayla. This prompt was names for killjoynest's quarantine fun fair, and I did have to come up with a few extra names for a few extra characters. If you want to use them, DM me about it and I can give ‘em to ya!

Kayla breathed a sigh of relief. She couldn’t believe she had gotten out of the surface city. She had heard about rebels who stayed in the city- Juvie Halls as the news had called them- and she was halfway hoping to meet one on her way to the Zones. She stopped. ‘How the hell am I even going to get there?? I don’t know jack shit-’ Her thoughts get cut off by lights shutting on suddenly- blinding her for a moment, and she gets yanked to the ground by a semi-gloved hand and a knee on her chest. She squeezes her eyes shut and her hands fly up to protect her face from whoever attacked her, but a gruff voice cuts through the silence saying,  
“Oh, It’s just a Batt Rat. Fuckin hell,” someone says, with a thick Irish accent, and the weight is lifted off of her. Kayla uncovers her face to see Blue- the rebel who she saw come out of the passageway that led her here. She had followed them underground, and who would’ve guessed that they would be the first person she’d meet.  
“How the hell did you get down here in the first place?” they ask, extending a hand to Kayla.  
“I- I, uh, I saw you from my classroom window- a- and I just followed y- you down here.” she stutters back, embarrassed for tripping over her words as they help her up.  
“Oh! You’re the kid I saw in the window?? Well, shoot me twice and call me mum a draculoid, I did not expect you to get here this quickly.” they say, a proud grin growing on their face, “My name is Blue J, and before you give me yours, you gotta think long and hard about it- you only get to choose once.”  
Kayla gawked at them, that was their actual name? She had only guessed that because of their hair, but she didn’t think that it was- she was in awe. She had heard about the Fabulous Killjoys, Party Poison, Jet Star, that crew, but she didn’t think that everyone had names like that.  
Blue J chuckles and says, “What? It’s not that good of a name, there are many names that are much better. Like yours, I hope.”  
“I don’t actually have one… I didn’t think that everyone had kick-ass names…” I say, shaking my head.  
“That’s alright, we can help out with that. You already have to outfit going for you, maybe we could work with that,” they say, patting me on the shoulder, “Let’s get you to the rest before anyone follows you down here.”  
***  
Kayla and Blue J had been walking and talking for a while and they had learned a lot about each other, they were originally from Ireland and they had been living in the underground since Batt City was first unveiled. They chose their name from their initials, and everyone just calls them BJ. They had taught her some of the slang that they and the other Juvvie Halls use before Kayla jumps in, saying, “I was going to try and make it out to the Zones. Could I even do that from here?” she asks  
“Yeah, you could. We would have to smuggle you out when we go on a run though, we can’t just leave for the zones with nothing else- the others wouldn’t take too kindly to that. Ah, we’re here.” BJ pushes a series of buttons on a keypad before the wall next to it clicks open and slowly swings forward. BJ slips inside motioning for Kayla to do the same. “Hey, ya bastards, I’m back!!” they call into the area. The only lights are coming in through some very thin windows lining the tops of the walls, it drowned everything in an orange haze, rays of light cutting in through the cigarette smoke and dust in the air. There were hammocks attached to the walls, with a mess of food, papers, and articles of clothing scattered about. There were only two other people in the room- both of them looking up when BJ announced their arrival. One with neon green hair with red streaks walks up with a lollipop hanging out of their mouth.  
“Addy! This is… well, we actually don’t have a name quite yet, but we’ve been working on it, uh, this is Addy Battery.” BJ says, introducing Kayla and then Addy.  
Addy looks at Kayla, before taking out her lollipop and turning to BJ saying, “Why the hell did you bring a Batt Rat in here?”  
“First off, I didn’t bring her here, this is the girl I told you who had seen me come out of the school passageway, she found me herself. Secondly, I think that counts as her not being a Batt Rat, don’t you think so? She did better than you- no one followed her down here. She slipped away without anyone noticing. So stop.” BJ fumes, calling Addy out on something Kayla didn’t want to know about.  
“Alright, alright. Witch, BJ, you didn’t have to go off on me like that. But yeah, I get it.” she turns to Kayla, saying, “So where are you headed?”  
“The Zones- I want to get out of the city. But, I, uh, I really like your hair,” she says, trying to get in good standing with Addy after BJ obviously embarrassed her.  
“Well, thank you!” Addy says, her face softening, and a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, “I really like that color scheme you got going on, and I think…” Addy says, turning away to rummage through a heap of clothing, “we have a spare gun that fits it exactly.” she finishes, pulling a red and black ray gun from the depths of the pile.  
“Oh, shit- Trey is not going to like you giving his gun to a Batt Rat.” The second person says from their spot in a hammock.  
“That’s Moona Starshine. Don’t pay any attention to her, she’s all bark and no bite. And Trey- Tracer Drone- he’s got so many guns he won’t notice this one gone. In fact, I’m sure he’d be delighted to know he’s helping a Batt fresh outta hell. Where’d he and Leo go? Leo- uh, Neon Lion, we call him Leo as a nickname.” BJ rattles off name after name, and Kayla can hardly keep up with all of them.  
Moona stands up, sauntering over to where BJ, Addy, and Kayla are standing and glares at Kayla, who tries not to shrink under her scowl. “Well, it looks like the Batt Rat is in a candy store, can’t keep up with all our names. Typical. What is your name then?”  
“Drive side street, Moona-” Addy begins to tell Moona off before Kayla cuts in,  
“Fatal Beat. My favorite game before the wars happened was Mortal Kombat, and I love music, so Fatal Beat. BJ, you said that the name had to be personal, well, this is pretty personal.” she says.  
Addy’s eyes light up, and BJ looks very proud as they pat her on the back, “Fatal Beat. So we’re calling you Fatal or Beat?”  
“Uh, Fatal, I guess,” she says, grinning.  
“Fatal Beat. Ooo so edgy. You got something to prove?” Moona says, her voice dripping with sarcasm.  
“Fuck off, Moona- Moona fucking Starshine- what the hell is your problem? You are such a halo head, and it’s really getting on my nerves.” Addy says, pushing Moona away from Fatal, “Are you jealous of her?”  
“And why the hell would I be jealous of a Batt Rat??” Moona says, completely outraged by Addy’s question.  
“Stop calling me that,” Fatal says quietly.  
“What was that??” Moona shoots back.  
“I said, stop calling me that. I’ve been through enough to earn my way out of the city. My name is who I am now, and I’m not about to let some astrology fucker tell me that my name is stupid. Names are important, it’s who you are, they are the most personal thing someone can have. And if we get a chance to remake ourselves, then I think we should get a name to match. The old ones are tied to BLI, they’re tied to the wrong things, they’re tied to everything we hated about ourselves. New names, they’re freeing, liberating us from the harshness of our past lives, we get to come back as someone completely new, and I think, changing our name is the first step in doing that. I like my name, I love the way it makes me feel- it makes me feel happy. I don’t care what people like you say, because I know it’s great, and I don’t need anyone else to validate me. Now, if you’ll excuse us, Moona, I think we have a run to go on.” Fatal says, definitely.  
Addy turns away from Moona to stand behind Fatal, next to BJ, and says, “Damn right we do, BJ?”  
“I think you’re ready- although, how should I know?” BJ says, turning them around and signaling Addy and Fatal to do the same. When they leave the room, with a speechless Moona standing in the middle.  
“If it’ any consolation, I think you have a fucking awesome name,” BJ says, practically glowing with pride. They place something in Fatal’s hands, a spiked up leather bracelet. “I want you to have this, it was given to me by the person who brought my ass down here. He told me, ‘If I’m ever escorting anyone out to the Zones, and you think they’re worthy of it, give this to them. It’ll be a sign that they belong out there, and tell them the same thing, to pass it along.’”  
Fatal looks up at BJ, who is grinning like an idiot, and thanks them, while Addy places a hand on Fatal’s shoulder, saying, “Well, what are we waiting for? We got a Batt to release!”


End file.
